MANILA — Former President Noynoy Aquino on Monday belied a news alert that he underwent a heart procedure, jesting instead that he was just "heartbroken," his former aide said.

Radio DZRH earlier tweeted that the 59-year-old former Philippine leader was set to undergo a heart procedure at the Makati Medical Center.

JUST IN: Dating Pang. Noynoy Aquino, napabalitang sasailalim sa heart procedure sa Makati Medical Center | RH27 @nochecacas #DZRHat80 pic.twitter.com/qLoC3PGSGu

— DZRH NEWS (@dzrhnews) December 9, 2019

Aquino's former spokesperson Abigail Valte confirmed that he was at the Makati hospital, but only for a "scheduled check-up and a routine procedure" and that he was "alright and in high spirits."

"While he is currently under observation, I was able to speak to him and apprise him of what is being reported in media. Nagbiro pa na baka daw kaya heart procedure ang balita kasi heartbroken siya," Valte said in a message.

(He even joked that maybe it was reported as heart procedure because he's heartbroken.)

During his time as president, Aquino was known to have been a chain smoker and dealt with rumors about the state of his health.

In 2015, at the height of investigation into the death of 44 state troopers in the Mamasapano encounter, Aquino was rumored to have collapsed. Malacañang, however, denied this.

Aquino last August missed rites commemorating his father's death anniversary because he was sick, his sister Kris Aquino said without providing additional details.

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